S'mores Cupcakes

Happy National S'mores Day!

What? You didn't know it was a thing either? I'm quickly discovering that there's a national day for just about everything, but in this case, I'm totally on-board with celebrating the summertime staple that is the s'more. And, of course, because I'm me, I had to throw my own touch on it and talk cupcakes -- S'mores cupcakes.

Making these cupcakes is pretty straight-forward. Your key ingredients are going to be your go-to chocolate cake and chocolate buttercream recipes, marshmallow creme, graham crackers, and jumbo-sized marshmallows.

Bake the cupcakes as normal, then core out the middle. There are lots of techniques for doing this, but my favorite is simply using a cupcake corer and pushing down the center of the cake to create a hole. For me, it guarantees I'm not removing the entire cupcake center -- you still want cake on the bottom to ensure the filling doesn't ooze out once the wrapper is removed.

I filled a disposable pastry bag full of marshmallow creme and just piped it into the cupcakes, being sure to fill it all the way to the top.

I added my chocolate buttercream and sprinkled some crushed graham crackers on top.

Now you're ready for the final step. Take your jumbo marshmallows and place on a cookie sheet. You're going to broil the marshmallows for a minute or so, just until they start to turn this golden brown. Be sure to watch the marshmallows (I had my oven light on the whole time); you can't set a timer for this one -- you need to actually monitor them so they don't burn.

Gently place the roasted marshmallows on top of the cupcake and voila! A gorgeous, super yummy cupcake alternative to standard s'mores. Enjoy!

Strawberry Cupcakes

What comes first -- the recipe or the baking cups? In this case, it was the super sweet, shabby chic liners and accessories my daughter "made" me buy at Michael's during one of our mommy-daughter outings. Her criteria is pretty straight-forward -- pink and pink...and a little more pink. Nothing other than a strawberry cupcake would do, of course.

I used a late afternoon family visit as an excuse to try a new strawberry cake recipe, but for whatever reason, they ended up being pink-colored hockey pucks. Never have I seen cake batter react the way this recipe did. Obviously I missed a step or something like my oven was too hot (or it was just a bad recipe); regardless, I had several hungry people waiting for cupcakes, including one very pink and strawberry-obsessed little girl. So I tried again, this time following a simpler recipe inspired by one of my all-time favorite bakers: My Baking Addiction.

Sure, it took two hours longer than it should have, but In the end, everything worked out. I stumbled upon a new go-to recipe, my family loved the cupcakes (especially the amazing buttercream frosting), and, according to my daughter, I finally got to use "the prettiest cupcake holders in the whole world". But seriously, look at that super cute baking cup!

Find the recipe here: STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES

Nutella Cupcakes

Nutella. It's pretty much my favorite thing in the world. Hazelnut and chocolate...um, yeah. Amazing. Fill some chocolate cupcakes with it and add some super creamy Nutella buttercream and it's pretty much game over.

These cupcakes require two full jars of Nutella, so be sure to stock up before making these. And use the name brand stuff -- trust me, you can taste the difference.

People always ask me about these baking cups -- they're Wilton's Black Wave Standard Baking Cups. I love using these because they add some visual interest to standard cupcakes and don't fade in the oven. They kind of "frame" the light chocolate buttercream draw attention to the simple hazelnut garnish.

Get the full recipe here: NUTELLA CUPCAKES

"My In-Laws are Moving to Florida" Cupcakes

In just a few more days, my beloved in-laws are beginning their next journey -- retirement -- in Florida. I know most people would celebrate their in-laws moving, but I actually like mine. I'm thrilled for them, but also sad. They're amazing people and wonderful role models for me, my husband, and our daughter, and dang it, I'm used to having them so close. Who are we going to play Cards Against Humanity with now? And okay, yes, I may also be a little jealous that they're going to be leaving the tundra of Minnesota for the beach.

With the big move coming soon, I wanted to make them some celebratory cupcakes and make them smile. I hope these beach-themed cupcakes do just that.

These were easy cupcakes to make -- just vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream tinted with Sky Blue AmeriColor gel. The tricker part was getting the frosting swirls to resemble ocean waves and graham cracker crumbs to mimic a sandy beach.

Strawberry fruit strips, miniature Teddy Grahams, and umbrella picks complete the "Hey, look at me, just laying on this beach without a care in the world" feeling.

And no baking experience is complete without my daughter further honing her skills. Here she is, practicing those frosting swirls while wearing a cape, beret, and an adorable facial expression.

Happy retirement, Kris and Ed! I can't wait to start getting all of those #retiredman tweets. I'll be dropping off the cupcakes soon...

Recipes used: VANILLA CAKE (coming soon) and FAVORITE VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes

Who doesn't like hot cocoa on a cold, snowy day? I've lived in Minnesota my whole life; to us, a mug of hot chocolate symbolizes the end of a fun day sledding, having snowball fights, or, on some occasions, the blessed end to shoveling...again.

I used two different recipes I found online and mixed them up a bit to create these. It's actually the second time I've tried making these, and this time I managed to capture the hot cocoa flavor without it being too overpowering.

Half the fun of making these cupcakes is the fun ways you can decorate them. I saw an adorable version on Pinterest that used candy canes as little mug "handles", but I didn't like having the peppermint mixed in with the buttercream (just my opinion). They certainly added some festive flair, however -- especially cute for the holidays. I chose to stick to the classics -- marshmallows and mini chocolate chips.

Find the full recipe here: HOT COCOA CUPCAKES